Stranger Of The Wild Things
by WillowFox
Summary: 14 to 15-year-old Clementine has been traveling alone with her only companion Aslan (dog) for 3 years. After suddenly finding a cabin group and saving one of the group members lives she finds herself in the crossfire of getting captured by a madman. When she's stranded with one of the group members she has no choice but to help him get his family back (Binding To The Shadows info)
1. Intro - We Became Partners

**A/N:** Hey there, this is my new story after feeling inspired by the trailer for season three. I am the same writer of ' Binding To The Shadows' but I couldn't find inspiration to write for it anymore so I'm hoping I can make this 10 times better! Sorry.

* * *

Intro - We Became Partners

* * *

Sometimes I wish I was crazy. The kind of crazy where you don't care if you die and you can just climb a ten-story building and not be afraid to jump off the edge. Or the kind of crazy where inanimate objects grow their own personalities and talk back to you, the kind of insane where maybe I would feel a little less lonely and a little less aggressive.

I drift my eyes down to the four-legged, solid creature walking so closely by my side that his ribs rub up against my thigh. When I first found him we weren't the friendliest towards each other.

Honestly, I was going to make a meal out of him because I thought he was dead. But as I crept closer I noticed he was still breathing, slightly. Lucky for me now I guess considering how many times he has come to my rescue.

But, when I found him lying in that gutter I figured that the pool of blood seeping from his neck meant that he was a fresh kill - that was if he wasn't injured by walkers.

But like I stated, he was still breathing. The cause of the injury was a drenched in red collar which had grown so tight on him it had cut into the tissue of his neck and was slowly suffocating his throat until I guess he couldn't handle it anymore.

I'm assuming his family died when he was a puppy and he had to survive on his own, or maybe they left him.

When I got close enough the first thing I did was take out my knife when he saw me a deep blood - curdling growl emitted from his throat and the hackles on his neck rose when he twisted to stand. Only then did I realize what a big animal he really was.

He cast a shadow over the road, blood dripped from his neck as he stood, his face was intimidating and when he bared his teeth his eyes spoke words of bloodshed. Then it was obvious to me to understand how he was able to survive.

His muffled barking was echoing through the town bringing unwanted attention so I knew I had to act fast. I was going to take out my gun, but his heavy swollen paws quickly gave way beneath him and he hit the concrete with an exhausted sigh.

Something about his beady, helpless eyes grew on me and I gave in. Four or so hours of sitting on his head, carefully cutting through his collar and using most of my supplies to disinfect and stitch it up I was done.

As fast as I possibly could I delved off his head and almost instantly he leaped up and bit me, his body was so heavy he pulled my face forwards to the earth and it felt like he was about to tear my arm off, which maybe he could have fulfilled. But after I screamed at him slashing my knife over his eye and kicking him so hard that he yelped and fell over he backed away, but never actually left.

That night I stitched up my arm up using the last of my thread and all of my tears even though I promised myself I wouldn't cry.

What do I wake up to? Sitting between two pine trees ten or so meters the same fucking dog was crouched amongst the dirt watching me with his eyes half open and a stupid casual look across his face, it almost looked as if he had expectations and was disappointed in me. I wanted to shoot him because of the distraught he had caused me but I noticed he was bleeding so... I healed him, and again, and again. When I threw stones he ignored me, when I shot arrows right next to his ear he scratched himself calmly, when I walked away he followed and eventually we became partners.

On the tiny puppy collar, he was wearing that day the name "Aslan" was embroidered on a flat, metal, golden colored bone.

That was almost three whole years ago, or two winters are how I keep track. We're about to hit our third and lately at night I feel I have to keep my fingers in my mouth to make sure they don't freeze off. It rains most evenings, lately, my shoes have been constantly soggy making my toes numb. Aslan likes to basically sit on top of me so I guess that helps with the cold.

I reach my tan fingers down and lightly scratch the top of his black head, he rises up against the touch and I look at the scarring along his neck. His body is completely black and he looks like nothing but a silhouette with a wrinkly face and a dripping pink tongue. Often at night he replies to the howls and calls of other animals in the forest. Which usually means I have to shush him and move our position to avoid being drawn upon by walkers.

But it's not all bad when he starts to fight that dog innocence is replaced with a creature that could take down a bear. His teeth are like rows of short but sharp daggers, his stumpy feet hammer at the ground and he's surprisingly loyal, even after I did half blind him in one eye.

Most of the time bandits are the ones running away from him. The only problem is he tends to get fired at a lot but apparently when a hip-high, bulking animal is racing at you with their mouth frothing and slaughter in their eyes your hand forgets how to aim and you just shoot at the floor.

We've worked a system, often he will chase them into a corner or right back towards me and all I have to do is put a bullet in their skull and raid their shit. Yesterday I picked up a full packet of bullets so it's a pretty great system. The first few times death really hung on me, all I could think about was the last look of desperation in their eyes as I cast a shadow over them and pressed the barrel between their brows.

We only see around about three or four people a year, always covered in dirt and blood, sticks in their hair and bags under their eyes. I'm not complaining because I know I look the same.

I try hard to stick to the river. Always, find the river. So I know where I'm going. We've been trotting through the woods in the same direction for almost a week. A few days ago there was a lot of commotion at a nearby cabin, we watched from the bushes as a man showed up caused some panic and then left again.

Three days later the group that inhabited the cabin walked right past us without even noticing due to our bodies being hidden by shrubs and being covered in leaves from the stormy night before.

They're most likely a few miles ahead by now, sometimes I hear a truck far in the distance I'm pretty sure it's following them, me too now I guess but I always stay off the path and hang under the trees to avoid being spotted so easily.

I've got my black backpack on my back with nothing much more than water, bullets, arrows, peroxide and a couple of reused and boiled bandages inside it. In my hand I have my bow and my is Glock tucked in my belt.

I look up to the burning ring of fire in the sky which is slowly descending behind some clouds. It's not midday yet maybe an hour or two away from it. The tips of the pine trees are swaying with the wind, their trunks coated in dark bark, some of it dripping with sap where woodpeckers have been abusing the bugs that lay underneath. I've learned to subconsciously walk stealthily through the forest, watching for tree roots and twigs. Aslan though, well, he usually rolls around over everything and pounces on mosquitoes. It looks funny to see such a serious looking animal prance around like a ballerina, only a lot less graceful.

Thinking of, I suddenly notice he leaves my side and my eyes trail after him. He trots over to the base of a tree, sniffs it for a second then lifts his leg and pees on it. I roll my eyes and wait a few seconds for him to be done, he walks back over to me and licks my hand. We forward on.

* * *

 **A/N:** Thanks for reading.  I hope you like Aslan! If you're curious to know what he looks like he's supposed to be a "Cane Corso" dog. So just search that up. If you want more please or think I could improve in a way let me know! :)


	2. Chapter 1- Between Each Branch

**A/N:** Offical chapter one! Yay, thanks, heaps to my two reviewers: BHBrowne and Yeyeyeye thank you heaps! :) I tried to take on your feedback I hope this chapter is better...

* * *

Chapter 1 - Between Each Branch

* * *

I crease my eyebrows together and wipe my fingers across my cheek squatting away whatever bothersome insect has decided to perch itself there. I return to my slumber when the prickly feeling of thousands of skinny legs returns and I go to graze the feeling away again when my hand hits something much bigger than an insect. The feeling I realize is too familiar so I know it's not any kind of danger. I roll my fingers down between two ears and further to the tip of the animal's nose.

He shakes his head, then his whole body and stubbornly pushes my fingers away with a nagging whine.

I feel hot breath pushing against my cheek and the creature moves its head back down to my face; its whiskers tickling my skin. I know from experience that he's not going to give up so reluctantly I strain to open my eyelids.

I get temporarily blinded by the checkered sunlight which shines down to the forest floor in beams, falling down between the many-branched arms. But through teary eyes, I focus on Aslan's happy greeting face which takes up my vision as he slobbers even more over my cheek. When I push him back he sits down carefree and starts wagging his stump tail feverishly, brushing pine needles and pine cones away behind him.

"I'm awake, I'm awake," I say as if he understands. I wipe the sand from my eyes and the dirt and pine needles from my clothes before standing up.

I quickly scan the area around me as my memory fills in the picture from the night before. When I slumped my body down to the floor out of pure exhaustion late last night I decided that I had earned a well-deserved sleep-in. I guess Aslan finally decided enough rest was enough…

I slide my tongue along the roof of my mouth and the dryness of my cheeks tells me to reach into my backpack and take out my water bottle. Aslan stands up at this action and trots over to my feet wanting the same thing as I.

When I hold the plastic, dented and twisted bottle to my eyes I sigh when I notice it's less than a quarter full. I unscrew the blue cap and drink most of it, leaving half a mouth full to Aslan. I pour the warm water into my hands and he laps it out.

When he finishes licking his black jowls he starts sniffing the floor beneath my hands before looking up at me as if asking if there's anymore.

I stuff the bottle back into my backpack and stroke his head.

"C'mon, we'll go fill it up again." He licks my hand and walks on my heels as I swing the backpack over my shoulder and we approach the side of the dirt path we constantly work to stay mostly hidden from.

Before putting my foot down I check both ways to make sure we're clear from being seen. When I spot no movement we cross it rather quickly, Aslan keeping his head high up next to my elbow.

Almost a minute of walking and we hear our first suspicious pop and snap of twigs being stepped on. I go to crouch down next to Aslan's side but I realize the footsteps sound too wonky to be human so I pull out my knife and I whistle lightly to encourage my dog to move forwards with me.

We only take a few steps when the expected dead body swings out from behind a tree trunk and gurgles loudly at us stretching out its arms.

Aslan growls deeply and takes a more aggressive stance, putting his ears back and spreading his feet slightly. I calm him and grip my knife tighter walking towards the walker.

I quickly jump forwards and wrap my fingers around its cold, boney, elastic-feeling neck to steady the movement of its head. Before it can get its scrawny fingers around my shoulders I push my knife into its skull.

Thick, hardly-red-anymore liquid spurts from the wound like a busting sprinkler onto my fingers. When I pull the knife out rather roughly the body tumbles and along with it an oozing stream of blood dripping from my fingers. I wipe my hand on my jeans and the body makes a squelching noise when Aslan walks over it.

A couple more minutes pass of my companion sniffing the ground, lifting his head, growling, then sniffing again and me yawning, cracking my knuckles and kicking along a stone. Until finally the familiar liquefied sound of time moving forwards greets our ears. The trees start to thin out and our eyes are delighted to see the ribbon of a river which flows mellowly through the forest.

I lick my dry lips and smile slightly at the scene. Aslan jogs ahead of me and marches into the water until it's up to his chest before he starts drinking.

I stand at the border and admire the scene for a second. No matter the chatter of the trees it is steady, welcoming, refreshing. It looks like glassy crystals when the light glitters off it, I can see tiny fish swimming in schools up to the surface before retreating back from my shadow.

I throw my backpack off and get out my water bottle, filling it with the liquid. When full, I bring it up to my eyes, it's clear which is surprising but I guess nothing has disturbed the water before Aslan and I. Sooner than I drink the water I worry of the bacteria and I think about boiling it just to be sure it's safe, but I remember how I've drunk from this river many times without getting sick so I skull it.

The cold water rolls down my throat and I feel it settling and spreading all through my stomach. I finish the whole bottle with streaks of water running down my cheeks into my shirt before I fill it up again.

I drink another half of the bottle before I feel like I'm going to choke and take long, heavy, gasps staring at the flowing water as I catch my breath. Same routine tomorrow, or tonight... and the next day, and the next day...

I fill it again and push the full bottle it into my backpack, then wash my hands in the water, digging my fingers into the gravel and pulling small stones from the ground for no reason other than inquisitiveness.

Suddenly I notice a lot of commotion from the corner of my eye and against the shimmering water I see Aslan jumping around snapping at the liquid, diving his head completely under. I pull out my knife worried, maybe a drowned walker or an alligator?

I stand and squint against the glittering, seconds past and he still doesn't lift his head so rapidly I march into the water shin high until I don't even reach him and he pulls his head out again.

I see that his teeth are clamped around a jerking fish, its tail flapping up and hitting him in the face as its long silver body tries to free itself from his bone crushing jaws. It startles him and he drops it but catches it again in a second.

All my worry disappears and instead I'm filled with an appetite I had been ignoring.

"Good boy Aslan!" I say, putting my hands on my knees. He perks up and starts wagging his tail, delighted for the praise.

"Bring it here boy, c'mon." I start pushing back to the water's edge, he comes running behind me, splashing around as he leaps through the water like an over excited pony.

We jog up onto the bay and he drops the rather large fish in the rocky sand. Its gills are wide open and gasping as it starts to jump away. Aslan wraps his teeth around it again and puts it back between us. I am suddenly very appreciative of the fact that he didn't just eat it himself.

Aslan starts pawing at it with his foot, each time the fish starts flailing and I have to give it mercy. I remember I'm still holding my knife so I push my hand down to secure the creature to the ground. It tries jerking out from under my palm but with a quick movement I dig my knife into its gill and separate the head and the body.

Blood starts oozing into the sand in a watery mess and the body keeps flapping around. I pick up both pieces and throw the head to Aslan. He catches it mid-air and carries it in his mouth.

I walk over to the treeline, pick up a rather large stick, sharpen one end of it and push it through the body of the fish. The nerves keep jolting against the wood as it penetrates the boy and I start to feel sick as small droplets of blood run down the stick to my hand. I put my knife away and carry the stick with me back to where we slept. Now that it's day making a fire would be more ideal.

With one last glance over my shoulder, we leave the river. Aslan still shaking his coat of water as we walk under the trees. The walk back is fast, faster than the time it took us to get to the river. Most likely because I'm eager to finally eat something after all of yesterday and all of the last night with nothing but my fingernails.

I look down to Aslan who still has the fish head in his mouth, drool hanging out the sides of his tongue. I notice I can see the fish's eye and I find myself staring at it. So much so that I picture it turning to look at me, but thankfully it doesn't.

I lift my head under the shadows of the pine trees. Between each branch, there is a fragment of blue sky some more cloudy than others that are telling me it will rain soon. Which, like I know, isn't uncommon lately. The sun will be high up in the sky soon, I woke up about an hour ago and it's not exactly midday yet so I've still got enough time to eat.

As I'm staring up into the sky a sudden pine cone falls to the ground a few meters in front of me and my eyes skip over to where it fell from. I stop walking and Aslan sees me stop so he does too.

I squint my eyes among the deep browns and dark greens of the trees and that's when I see the small twitching of a fuzzy tail.

I instantly drop my fish-on-a-stick, reach back and pull out my bow and two arrows, one I hold in between my teeth the other in my bow.

The squirrel looks at me and I see its beady black eyes scanning me for movement. I raise my bow slowly and pull it back to my cheek, it sees me do this.

Before I release the arrow the animal jumps from one branch to the next and runs over my head panicky. The sudden movement catches me by surprise and as fast as I can I trail the animal with the arrow tip and as the squirrel stops for just a second to jump again I let out a breath and release.

The wind splits in two from my face to the branch as I watch it go flying, but the animal makes a leap to the next tree trunk and the arrow falls low and gets stuck in the branch. But I see this happening before it does so I pull the other arrow from my mouth and fire again at the mid - in air animal. Time slows only for a second then I see the arrow tip go right through its neck.

"Fuck yes." I can't help but say as a smile stretches across my face. I've practiced with bows for the last two years by throwing up pine cones and then shooting them as they fall, it has definitely paid off. Aslan wags his tail at nothing but my mood.

The dead animal and my bow go flying into the next tree trunk and the arrow stays put in the wood like a dart. I see the red squirrel's small paws scraping the weapon terrified for a split second before falling loosely while its life drains.

I run at the tree trunk and using my bottom foot I propel myself up the trunk and wrap my fingers around the arrow before falling down and bringing it with me. I don't land on my feet but I do praise myself for having caught us an extension to our breakfast. Now we both are even.

I put my bow away and have to climb to fetch my other arrow, but once retrieved I have all of my six, the fish stick, so Aslan and I trot back to the trail.

Along my mind swirling with content and my mouth watering with desire the flooring beneath us changes from pine needles and twigs to dirt and gravel. And we take our first steps across the path carefree. On our third step, we stop and look sideways down along trail where our eyes meet with six other pairings.

* * *

 **A/N:** Thanks for reading. Sry if I rambled on for too long... Or if this chapter was really boring but it's just filling in the bonding and what Clementine's life has been like for the past three years. If you want more or think I could improve in any way let me know! :)


	3. Chapter 2 - All That I Have Left

**A/N:** Chapter 2 :) Thank you for all of the support I'm getting through followers and favorites, and the reviews! Thanks to Smeak, **BHBrowne her story is AMAZING, FLAWLESS go check it out!** And My bae, my long lost bae _LittleMissNerdGirl! (we need to skype for longer)_

* * *

Chapter 2 - All That I Have Left

* * *

 _(Only a few more days till season 3 you guys! Ahhh!)_

Suddenly all I can see is the shocked faces of the group staring back at me. My hunger and the enthusiasm I have for the day all falls away in the blink of an eye.

My hand jerks so fast I drop the fish stick and the squirrel, then I yank out my gun from my belt. Two of the younger men mirror my movement. The orange-sweatered one pulls out a machete he has strapped to his back and the other raises his rifle.

Aslan quickly walks up to my side, putting his ears back. His snout tenses as he bares his teeth, his posture becomes mildly crouched moving most of his weight on his back legs looking like he's preparing to pounce.

"Drop it," I say, doing my best to sound confident. My eyes switch back and forth between the two young adults, hoping they don't try and put up a fight.

"You're outnumbered." The taller man holding the rifle says, I see him move his finger to the trigger. Aslan apparently sees this too and barks once, a deep loud sounding cackle coming from the back of his throat afterward. Good dog, I think.

"Sure, but you're the ones that'll have to deal with the walkers." I say quickly, "or maybe something worse."A few of them look around nervously, but they still don't lower their weapons.

"Aslan," I say encouragingly he takes a step closer to the group and starts barking loudly. Three times, four and a walker stumbles onto the path quite a bit away, but it starts to drag its twisted ankle over to them.

"Shh, okay stop." The brunette man says, looking around nervously.

I take a step closer to him but I can feel my hand growing clammy around the gun and my heartbeat picks up.

"Shut it up." The rifleman says aggressively, taking a step closer and pointing the rifle but retreating backward. "Shut it up or I - I'll put a bullet in its skull." But his statement wobbles and he says it halfheartedly.

"Please just, please make him quiet." A smaller female voice says. I just glare and keep my weapon pointed.

"Just put your guns down."

"Alright! Alright!" The brunette man gives in, he slides his machete back into its holster and raises his hands, lowering his forehead slightly but keeping his eyes on me. "Let's all calm down for a second." He eyes look to Aslan, he's still barking and then the man sees why.

I move my eyes from his and peer down at the others in the group. There's a tired looking pregnant woman who's hunched over, her hand is in another man's who also has his arm around her. Then I notice a firm looking man shielding a younger girl. I stare at her for a few seconds, she looks my age but with her nervous form and big brown eyes hiding behind glasses she could be mistaken to be younger.

I look back up to the armed man who hasn't taken his eyes off me. His orbs are sharp and his teeth are ground together behind his lips.

"Nick?" The brunette man talks again looking to his friend with his hands still risen. "Put it down, it wasn't her.: Nothing. "Hey man, _listen_. We know who it was." He says calmly but starts peaking my interest at the anonymity of the statement.

"Nick, he'll hear the noise - he'll - he'll." The pregnant woman starts crying suddenly and I feel a little guilt.

Nick, as he is now known rapidly glances at his group, then does a double take.

"She could be working with him!" He spits, licking his lips, "We don't know her, man." Sweat is starting to trail down my forearms but I keep my finger close to the trigger.

Then, I suddenly realize that this is the cabin group I had seen earlier in the week. I must've passed them last night when they were resting. Speaking of, I know exactly who Nick is referring to when he says "him." It has to be the same guy I saw causing all the commotion.

"I'm not working for anyone," I say for myself before the brunette man can speak for me. "Just lower your weapon and I'll be on my way."

The armed man says nothing for a few seconds, thoughts swirling in my mind. Aslan's barking starts to fault but he stays standing, I take this as a good sign that things are starting to calm down.

"I'm not a threat to you," I say composedly, hoping they'll leave me alone. For all I know these people could be stacked up on weapons, just not showing them.

"Yeah? Well, your uh… Dog is tellin' differently." The assumed leader of the group says, slowly heating the tension again. I glare at the man briefly before pulling my eyes to the back of Aslan's head and I whistle lightly, he looks at me over his shoulder before letting his lips fall back over his teeth and quieting himself.

My arms are starting to get tired from holding the gun in an upright position for so long. "Happy?" I ask, then I look to the armed man again who's still staring at me but the tension is breaking.

The brunette man places his hand on the man's gun and slowly pushes the nozzle towards the floor. The man lets out a heavy sigh and relaxes his shoulders lowering the rifle.

I keep my gun up for a few seconds, looking over all of them, looking for signs of aggression but there's nothing other than exhaustion. Suddenly I notice the staggering form in the background, several of them and just before one can take a chomp out of the unsuspected dark skinned man's neck I swap my gun for my bow and let an arrow fly from my fingertips.

"Hey!" The orange-sweatered man looks like he's about to take me out until he see's what I'm firing at. And the arrow goes straight through its eye, then I shoot two more and things go quiet, finally.

I slowly lower my bow back towards the ground making sure there's no more before sliding it back into my backpack.

"Thanks." The surprised dark skinned man says, holding the teary pregnant woman. I nod my head towards him. "We're even. Sorry for scaring you." I say to the woman but she doesn't look up.

Aslan comes and slides his head under my hand before sitting down underneath it.

"Well, now that's cleared up I'm Luke an' this is..." I walk past the speaking man and collect my arrow, pulling it from the collapsed body. Then get my other two and clean them on my pants, looking up at the group gingerly.

"... this is Nick, Rebecca, Alvin, Carlos, and Sarah." He finishes unsure if I'm even listening, which, I'm not.

I couldn't care any less about these people, to be honest, I just want to get away from them but I look at their faces anyway. The pregnant lady, despite her angry sniffing, looks like she's sore about me knowing this information but I graze over her like I don't notice.

The oddly auspicious man turns and smiles small at me though still slightly weighed down about something.

"What's your name?"

I bend down to pick up my squirrel, hang it over my shoulder, then proceed to hold my speared fish by my side. I give a noncommunicable casual sigh and fold my lips together.

"Nice to see you. Good luck out here," I pause, a small smile forming on my lips. "God know's you'll need it."

Just like that I turn and walk off the pathway back into the forest. I can hear a sudden sound of objection but I ignore it, Aslan picks up his fish head, turns to the strangers with one paw raised off the ground then gives them a final glance and catches up to me.

* * *

I wipe my mouth vigorously as I munch widely on the meat in my mouth. I have a small fire going before me where I cooked our food. I hold the fish by it's combed bones which form its ribs as I use my teeth to tear out any meat I can. I hope that the smoke I created isn't too dark above the trees bringing unwanted attention. I especially don't want the cabin group to find me again, but maybe if they do I could take something from there's. It's a selfish thought, but it's still a thought that I think, and a circumstance I have to live with.

"Ow." I jerk back from the fish I'm eating and use my tongue to lightly trace across the cut in my mouth, one of the sharper bones caused it.

I swallow a tiny amount of blood and continue eating. My eyes skipping over to Aslan who's sitting a few meters away from me enjoying his meal. I decided it was only fair that Aslan got a whole meal too so I let him have the entire squirrel, I'm not a fan of the meat anyways, it's tough, gets stuck in your teeth and the bones are too small to avoid, but I'm sure Aslan doesn't mind the extra crunch.

A few minutes past when I finish eating and Aslan happily takes the leftover bones and munches down on it like raw spaghetti. I stomp out the fire and when I put my backpack on the first drop of rain crashes onto my hand and drips from my wrist to the ground.

I sigh to myself and fasten my hat on my head, ready for a cold trek through the woods.

* * *

I pull the back of my gray hood over my drenched form as I saunter in the heavy rain. Somehow the wind still manages to blow right through me and I tighten my arms which are hooked onto my upper arms as I try and suppress some warmth. The sky is a mildly dark, frosty, blue as the sun disappears behind the mountains. The fat drops of water are pushed across me as the heavy gusts of wind force them to fall sideways like bullets.

I try not to focus on how bad my body feels and instead I look at the ground. My boots are coated in mud, the ground is soaking wet with dotted puddles scattered around the floor. The usually crunchy, dry leaves have gotten thoroughly drowned down that they grow soggy and slime together, I lose my footing and I fall to the floor groaning in disgust as my whole underside gets coated in mud.

Aslan comes up next to me and licks the side of my face, his breath is warm but quickly is replaced by freezing droplets of water. I scamper to my feet only to slip again and I just give up. My fingers ball into fists and grow white, my toes do the same and my lips feel so cold they burn. I crawl under the closest pine tree, bury myself between its roots and wrap my arms around my knees. Aslan lays down beside me and rests his head on one of my shoes.

Between clattering teeth, I look up at the trees and amongst the flashing of lightning and the shrieking of rustling and breaking branches I spot a dark hollow in the trunk of one of the trees.

I stare at it for a few seconds, forgetting the rain and forgetting my coldness until inside I see three puffy white owlets staring out at me. Their bold yellow eyes watch me and watch me, then one of them turns to the other and starts pruning its premature feathers. Only a few seconds later another owl swoops down from the trees. She's a lot more elegant with a ghostly face, glossy feathers, sharp beak, big eyes and long claws which clutch the tree trunk. Her colors are mainly brown and white with speckles of gold, she shakes her feathers free of water and pushes her way inside amongst them. How warm they all must be.

My eyes start to drain and they roll down to the floor. I pat Aslan's head in the sort of you're my family and all I have left' way and slowly lower the side of my head to his back, letting the rain fall on my face as I pass out.

* * *

 **A/N:** First encounter w/ the cabin group! Aslan is my favorite character lol, but is he too unrealistic for a dog? If you want more or think I could improve in any way let me know! :)


End file.
